Thursday, March 4, 2010
It's Here!
We're taking over the prairies! Winnipegdogs.com now has a sister site: SKDogs.com! If you know of any dog lovers in Saskatchewan, then this is the blog for them. We're going province-wide with the best canine-related news, reviews, tales and tails. Check us out today!
Luxury Barkitecture: 10 Amazing Dog House Designs
Most of us realize that to the rest of the world, we dog people seem a bit weird. The grooming, the doggie sweaters, the organic treats and ergonomic dog beds are one thing, but dog toys like these go beyond overboard. The following dog house designs are so detailed, so realistic and so expensive that even their human house counterparts can be less attractive. These luxury dog house designs will change your opinion of what a dog house can be, but shouldn’t surprise you with what some rich dog owners are willing to spend to keep their puppies wagging:
Does your dog have a flair for the Mediterranean Revival? The Celebrity Hacienda Dog House ($30,000 U.S.) is a palace for your pup, inspired by the clay tile and stucco wall architecture of the Mediterranean. It features twin wooden doors that open and shut with a bit of pressure from your dog, keeping them sheltered from the elements and perfectly private. Those lights by the door don’t actually work, but with a couple LEDs and some handy wiring, you can give your dog some night time illumination. Good luck trying to get the little guy to cough up for the electric bill, though.
The Frank Lloyd Ruff in your family will certainly enjoy this one. Hundehaus Cubix: The Modern Doghouse ($2500 U.S.) is a white-walled, red trim dog house with large windows and an interesting woof, er, roof. It’s large enough for a few dogs to share, leaving enough room for them to adorn its inner walls with their favorite modern art.
If your dog is more of an on-the-town type, the Brick Estate Dog House ($25,000 U.S.) brings with it a certain air of southern socializing. Its red brick walls, white column porch and paned windows will make a serious statement to your dog’s house guests. If things are a bit too hairy in your own home, your dog can certainly enjoy a night on the town in this one.
Your little princess (or prince with an ambiguous gender identity) could only be truly at home in a castle. So until you can afford springing for a medieval home of your own, the Hundehaus Fairytale Dog House ($3250 U.S.) will have to do for your little royal ruffer. This pink castle features twin spires, a ramparted roof and a big, bold crown right above the door. So your dog may not ever realize just how adorable its castle home is, but your human visitors may not be able to handle the cuteness.
To view the rest of the list, including a trailer home, click here.
SOURCE: TheCoolList.com
Does your dog have a flair for the Mediterranean Revival? The Celebrity Hacienda Dog House ($30,000 U.S.) is a palace for your pup, inspired by the clay tile and stucco wall architecture of the Mediterranean. It features twin wooden doors that open and shut with a bit of pressure from your dog, keeping them sheltered from the elements and perfectly private. Those lights by the door don’t actually work, but with a couple LEDs and some handy wiring, you can give your dog some night time illumination. Good luck trying to get the little guy to cough up for the electric bill, though.
The Frank Lloyd Ruff in your family will certainly enjoy this one. Hundehaus Cubix: The Modern Doghouse ($2500 U.S.) is a white-walled, red trim dog house with large windows and an interesting woof, er, roof. It’s large enough for a few dogs to share, leaving enough room for them to adorn its inner walls with their favorite modern art.
If your dog is more of an on-the-town type, the Brick Estate Dog House ($25,000 U.S.) brings with it a certain air of southern socializing. Its red brick walls, white column porch and paned windows will make a serious statement to your dog’s house guests. If things are a bit too hairy in your own home, your dog can certainly enjoy a night on the town in this one.
Your little princess (or prince with an ambiguous gender identity) could only be truly at home in a castle. So until you can afford springing for a medieval home of your own, the Hundehaus Fairytale Dog House ($3250 U.S.) will have to do for your little royal ruffer. This pink castle features twin spires, a ramparted roof and a big, bold crown right above the door. So your dog may not ever realize just how adorable its castle home is, but your human visitors may not be able to handle the cuteness.
To view the rest of the list, including a trailer home, click here.
SOURCE: TheCoolList.com
Should there be an animal abuse registry?
Cruelty to animals, it is said, is often a precursor to graver crimes. So would there not be some usefulness to a registry of individuals convicted of felony animal abuse? Legislators in California want the Golden State to be the first to establish such a record — just as California was the first in the nation to create a registry of sex offenders.The goal of the registry, which would list crimes against both pets and farm animals, is to make it easier for shelters and animal-adoption groups to identify people who shouldn't be allowed access to animals. It would also be a boon to law enforcement because animal abuse, the bill's authors' say, often escalates to violence against people. Abuses covered in the bill would include the malicious and intentional maiming, mutilation, torture, wounding or killing of a living animal. It would also target pet hoarders and operators of animal-fighting rings (such as dog-baiting and cockfighting) who have felony convictions. "We think California is primed for this kind of a bill," says state senate majority leader Dean Florez, who introduced the bill in late February. "We've progressed to the point where we as a legislature are moving in a direction of this bill, which is ultimately, how do we in essence prevent repeat offenses when it comes to cruelty to animals in the state of California?" It is an issue that, Florez says, Californians care for deeply. About 60% of California residents own pets, he says; add in farm animals, and 80% of the population has some kind of ownership of animals.
The bill's biggest stumbling block may be the funding it would require. Created with the assistance of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, the bill would raise the approximately $500,000 to $1 million necessary for its launch through a 2- or 3-cent tax per pound of pet food, says Florez, a Democrat who is chairman of the Food and Agriculture Committee. He estimated that after it's launch, the project could cost between $300,000 to $400,000 a year to maintain. Yet even that relatively small amount has some organizations, including a national pet-product trade group and even the Humane Society, raising concerns. Jennifer Fearing, California senior state director and chief economist for the U.S. Humane Society, supports the measure's aims but worries about whether it can get passed. Says Fearing: "I would be shocked if this legislature is prepared to enact any tax this year, much less one levied on pet owners who are struggling to care for their animals, when many of them are dropping them off at shelters."
Ed Rod, vice president of government affairs for the American Pet Products Association, says the proposal is inherently inequitable."You're looking at pet owners paying for something that's really going to benefit everyone," says Rod. "And animal abuse certainly affects pets, but it also affects agricultural animals as well, and in this case I don't believe there is any provision to impose a fee on livestock feed. The goal we support, certainly, but we think this is kind of a blunt instrument to reach that goal."
To read more, read the original Time Magazine here.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
DIY Pet Rescue: how CPR can save your pet's life
Monday's edition of the Globe & Mail explored the benefits of taking pet CPR training:
A recent Associated Press poll found that 58 per cent of pet owners say they would try to perform CPR on their animal if needed. Dog owners (63 per cent) were slightly more likely than cat owners (53 per cent) to say they'd go mouth-to-muzzle, and women (65 per cent) were more likely than men (50 per cent).
One person who’s 100 per cent behind pet CPR is Matt Armstrong of Toronto. He revived his neighbour's dog, Sheena, when her heart stopped during a walk in the woods last month. The seven-year-old boxer collapsed suddenly and stopped breathing. Mr. Armstrong checked for a pulse but could find none, so he slapped Sheena on the chest and blew air into her mouth for about two minutes until she started breathing on her own again.
Pet CPR protocol calls for closing a dog's mouth with your hand and breathing into its nose, but Mr. Armstrong didn't know that, so he just took a deep breath and went for it. “I just stuck my face as far down as it went and started breathing,” Mr. Armstrong said. Did he think twice about lip-locking with a slobbery dog's maw? “No, 'cause I love that dog.”
Mr. Armstrong saved Sheena's life that day thanks to his animal-lover's instinct. But for those who want to be properly prepared for an emergency, pet CPR classes are now available in a few Canadian cities. Sally Achey teaches pet CPR in Montreal, for instance, and says that while the general public may be squeamish, there are enough hardcore animal lovers out there to keep her classes full. She hopes to expand to Toronto soon. “I've had people laugh at me and say, 'You're kidding,' and people say, 'Ew, I wouldn't blow into a dog's nose,’” said Ms. Achey, who lives outside of Rutland, Vt. “But the people who come into my class are not at all hesitant about it; they're passionate about animals.” Many pet lovers are more concerned about what they might catch from another human than they are about going mouth-to-snout with their dog or cat, she added.
Pet CPR is similar to the human variety, with adjustments for size and anatomy. Technique also varies with breed; resuscitating a Chihuahua is a different trick from breathing life into a Great Dane.
Ms. Achey's own dog, Tucker, acts as a test patient for students learning to take pulses and wrap bandages. They practise rescue-breathing on stuffed dogs. The full-day class costs $129 and also covers other pet first-aid instruction on treating bleeding, choking and broken bones. Ms. Achey has never had to use the techniques she teaches on her own dog, but one student recently reported that she saved her 10-month-old Tibetan Terrier from choking on a piece of rawhide. “He gulped, it got stuck, and in a matter of seconds he was down,” Ms. Achey said. “She was able, without panicking, [to save him.] We place an emphasis on having people be prepared.”
According to the American Animal Hospital Association, 25 per cent of pets that end up in emergency veterinary clinics could have been saved if their owners knew and applied just one first-aid technique.
Sheena was lucky. After her collapse, the boxer was diagnosed with a heart condition, and is now on medication and doing well. Mr. Armstrong still walks her daily, along with his two labs. Sheena obviously doesn't understand the details of her resurrection, but Mr. Armstrong says she seems to know he had something to do with it: “When we're walking now, she walks right behind me, staring at me.”
To learn more about potentially saving your pet's life, watch this.
A recent Associated Press poll found that 58 per cent of pet owners say they would try to perform CPR on their animal if needed. Dog owners (63 per cent) were slightly more likely than cat owners (53 per cent) to say they'd go mouth-to-muzzle, and women (65 per cent) were more likely than men (50 per cent).
One person who’s 100 per cent behind pet CPR is Matt Armstrong of Toronto. He revived his neighbour's dog, Sheena, when her heart stopped during a walk in the woods last month. The seven-year-old boxer collapsed suddenly and stopped breathing. Mr. Armstrong checked for a pulse but could find none, so he slapped Sheena on the chest and blew air into her mouth for about two minutes until she started breathing on her own again.
Pet CPR protocol calls for closing a dog's mouth with your hand and breathing into its nose, but Mr. Armstrong didn't know that, so he just took a deep breath and went for it. “I just stuck my face as far down as it went and started breathing,” Mr. Armstrong said. Did he think twice about lip-locking with a slobbery dog's maw? “No, 'cause I love that dog.”
Mr. Armstrong saved Sheena's life that day thanks to his animal-lover's instinct. But for those who want to be properly prepared for an emergency, pet CPR classes are now available in a few Canadian cities. Sally Achey teaches pet CPR in Montreal, for instance, and says that while the general public may be squeamish, there are enough hardcore animal lovers out there to keep her classes full. She hopes to expand to Toronto soon. “I've had people laugh at me and say, 'You're kidding,' and people say, 'Ew, I wouldn't blow into a dog's nose,’” said Ms. Achey, who lives outside of Rutland, Vt. “But the people who come into my class are not at all hesitant about it; they're passionate about animals.” Many pet lovers are more concerned about what they might catch from another human than they are about going mouth-to-snout with their dog or cat, she added.
Pet CPR is similar to the human variety, with adjustments for size and anatomy. Technique also varies with breed; resuscitating a Chihuahua is a different trick from breathing life into a Great Dane.
Ms. Achey's own dog, Tucker, acts as a test patient for students learning to take pulses and wrap bandages. They practise rescue-breathing on stuffed dogs. The full-day class costs $129 and also covers other pet first-aid instruction on treating bleeding, choking and broken bones. Ms. Achey has never had to use the techniques she teaches on her own dog, but one student recently reported that she saved her 10-month-old Tibetan Terrier from choking on a piece of rawhide. “He gulped, it got stuck, and in a matter of seconds he was down,” Ms. Achey said. “She was able, without panicking, [to save him.] We place an emphasis on having people be prepared.”
According to the American Animal Hospital Association, 25 per cent of pets that end up in emergency veterinary clinics could have been saved if their owners knew and applied just one first-aid technique.
Sheena was lucky. After her collapse, the boxer was diagnosed with a heart condition, and is now on medication and doing well. Mr. Armstrong still walks her daily, along with his two labs. Sheena obviously doesn't understand the details of her resurrection, but Mr. Armstrong says she seems to know he had something to do with it: “When we're walking now, she walks right behind me, staring at me.”
To learn more about potentially saving your pet's life, watch this.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Life Saving Lab Awarded Medal
When it comes to keeping our troops safe, black Labrador Treo is a true pedigree chum. The pooch has saved countless lives on Afghanistan's front line thanks to his amazing bomb-sniffing skills. While on patrol two years ago, he found a "daisy chain" explosive by the roadside - saving a platoon from many casualties. A month later, his remarkable nose detected another Taliban multiple IED.
Now Treo, 9, has been awarded the Dickin Medal at London's Imperial War Museum - the equivalent of the Victoria Cross for a military animal. Handler Sgt Dave Heyhoe, who Handler Sgt Dave Heyhoe, who has worked with him for five years, said: "I'm very proud indeed."
Treo has now retired to his former base in North Luffenham, Rutland. He's the 27th dog to get the Dickin Medal. It has also been given to 32 Second World War messenger pigeons, three horses and one cat.
SOURCE: Mirror.co.uk
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Support the Manitoba Pug Rescue!
Come out and support the Manitoba Pug Rescue this weekend as they hold a Home Show Fundraiser. The fundraiser will showcase a number of consultants, each of which will donate a portion of their sales to the rescue to help with vet costs. Featured consultants will include: Creative Memories, Total She, Epicure, Norwex, PartyLite and Tupperware. There will also be dog-related items available for purchase as well as a number of pugs currently seeking a forever home. DATE:February 27, 2010
TIME: 3:00pm – 6:00pm
LOCATION: Canada’s Canine Academy (12-360 Keewatin Street)
If you aren't able to attend and still want to order, check out their online catalogue here.
Drama at Rescue Ink?
Rescue Ink, the popular National Geographic reality program, is facing an uncertain future after half of the burly bikers making up the animal rescue crew abruptly left. A statement on their official Facebook reads:
Rescue Ink is an ever evolving animal rescue organization dedicated to battling animal abuse and neglect and assisting other animal-welfare agencies and shelters do the same. With much regret, we announce that some participants of Rescue Ink have chosen to depart the organization and as such we wish these departing members the best of luck in their future endeavors and thank them for their countless hours of dedication promoting the mission of Rescue Ink.
Please be assured, however, that Rescue Ink, thanks to our founding members, countless dedicated recruits and volunteers’ remains stronger than ever and will continue to promote the Rescue Ink mission.
Thank you all for your continued support.
Popular dog blog Ohmidog.com is reporting that Eric, Angel, Robert and Batso have departed from the organization. We will keep you posted on the future of the rescue and the television show.
Dog of the Week
Name: Suzie
Breed: Pug
Age: Adult
Suzie is a loveable female fawn pug with a zest for life! She has spent many years as a breeding pug in a puppymill near Steinbach, and now her main goal is to relax and enjoy life to the fullest! She has learned a lot since coming into the rescue, including how to walk up and down stairs and walk on a leash. Her favorite spot in her foster home is next to the pantry door where the dog food is stored. She has lost lots of weight since entering the care of the Boston Terrier & Pug Rescue of Southern Manitoba, which has improved her health tremendously. Suzie is housetrained, spayed and up-to-date on all her shots. She is good with other dogs and LOVES children. Suzie has been in the care of the rescue since March of last year, but no one seems to want to give her a chance! Will you? If you are interested in this beautiful canine, please contact the Boston Terrier & Pug Rescue of Southern Manitoba at btprmb@gmail.com or www.bostonpugrescuemb.com
If you would like to donate to the Boston Terrier & Pug Rescue of Southern Manitoba, click here.
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